


The Lady Of The Worlds

by Kosho



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Alternate Timelines, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Eventual Romance, Fen'Harel being an Asshole, Inquisitor Being an Asshole, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Other Fandoms Not Mentioned in Tags, Other Ships Not Mentioned in Tags, Sassy Inquisitor, Solas is Fen'Harel, Tags May Change, Time Skips, Time Travel, Time Travel Fix-It, Young Fen'Harel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-07
Updated: 2018-05-14
Packaged: 2019-02-11 22:39:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12945537
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kosho/pseuds/Kosho
Summary: I've been meaning to do this for a bit, but I kept putting it off. Originally, it was just an idea, but then I remembered how masterfully Final Fantasy 13-2 played with the concept of alternate timelines, and I felt like I really needed to do this.





	1. Out Of Time

**Author's Note:**

> I've been meaning to do this for a bit, but I kept putting it off. Originally, it was just an idea, but then I remembered how masterfully Final Fantasy 13-2 played with the concept of alternate timelines, and I felt like I really needed to do this.

You don’t know me yet, but you will. I’ll save you the trouble of guessing, I am the narrator, and...the subject of this tale. Why shouldn’t I have a chance to tell my own story, after all. This is one big story, the loose threads that connect several small stories, all centering around me, the piece that completes the puzzle. It begins with a tale you may believe you knew very well, but I assure you it is anything but the familiar, warm story of overcoming insurmountable odds with the powers of faith and hope. This story revolves around time, and the moment everything skewed. When I say  _ everything _ , let me be clearer still, not just Thedas, but  _ everything _ in and beyond it. You would not be alone in being a little confused that there is anything  _ beyond _ Thedas, but there is, many worlds, many realities and timelines that had either the fortune or ill-luck of not being “our” timeline. I can’t say whether it was fate, the whim of some god, or something else entirely, but the beginning of this tale moves at breakneck speed, that’s really how it happened. These things should be slow, a cautious, drawn out affair, you might say. Time is a delicate thing, not to be trifled with, the consequences would be dire. I thought the same thing, and was sorely mistaken when presented with the reality for the first time. At any rate, this story isn’t going to tell itself.

* * *

  
  


The girl awoke to the immediate sight of soldiers and two rather intimidating women, one subtle, the other vicious. The source of their curiosity and anger all part of the same story as the mysterious glowing mark on her palm, probably coinciding with the explosion of the Conclave. Everyone dead,  _ thousands _ dead in one long moment, and her, the only survivor, the only suspect. She had a good balance of wit and looks, but beyond that,  _ average _ would be the only fitting descriptor. No real talent, she would even dare to think, everything she had tried very hard to excel at usually fell at average no matter what it was. In truth, she was First only by virtue of being the only mage in the clan at the time. They couldn’t possibly believe she had the ability to create some explosive that powerful? She wouldn’t know the first thing about making explosives, that was a Dwarf and Qunari thing, wasn’t it? Mages too, considering Kirkwall. 

 

“I didn’t do this, what reason would I have to kill so many people?” She asked nervously. 

 

“To prolong the war, to strike against the Divine, eliminate some Templars...there are many possibilities.” the darker haired woman said. 

 

“I’ve never even met a Templar before I got here...my clan doesn’t exactly make a habit of coming into contact with humans on purpose. Besides, that still suggests I willingly killed mages as well. I can think of reasons why I might conceivably do such a thing if I had wanted to blow up the Conclave, but I didn’t. I came to see what the future held for our clan, for the Dalish as a whole.” She muttered defensively. 

 

The quieter woman carefully moved the stern woman aside, dropping down to try her luck. “We’ve checked the records, I might assume you were one of the Lavellans on the list? Are you Melothari or Iveanis?” 

 

Her shoulders shot up, her brother had completely slipped her mind. So he was dead too then? Were the gods blaming her too? Her head dropped to her chest, a thick mane of straight orange-red hair shifting to frame her head like it was also drooping with her demeanor. 

 

“Melothari.” She finally said, a hollow sound. 

 

She looked despondent, like she wasn’t even there in that instant, but rather somewhere else entirely. They hauled her to her feet, sharing a curious shrug between them before the one the woman called Leliana ran off with the soldiers to meet them further up ahead. Aside from plenty of stray demons, the path was largely cleared save a few dead bodies scattered under burning debris. It’s shortly after encountering two others who were meant to accompany them to the Temple that everything changed. An elven man reached for her hand, stretching it up to the small tear in the sky, the mark reacted, and the world went completely still. Melothari whipped around, confused by the way everything around has frozen in some kind of stasis that no amount of prodding managed to undo. The idea of trying to go through the tear itself sounded terrible, and definitely like something that she shouldn’t even consider. Reaching out, she tries to make the mark respond to it somehow, it had done something the first time, maybe it would again. The rift swirled with strange energy, her hand aching beyond anything she’d ever felt, pain shooting in sharp barbs up to her shoulder, before the rift spat her back out, into an empty grey place, like a dense, smoky fog too thick to see anything. 

 

The concept of time quickly becomes meaningless. That place was always dark, no way to tell just how much time had passed while she floated through the empty world. This isn’t the Fade, she would surely recognize it, and death certainly seemed like it would be quieter, there should be no thought if that were the case. After what felt like it could easily have been an eternity, or merely a few moments, the faintest suggestion of light blinks in and out of existence in what is either the distance or very close. With nothing better to do, Melothari tried to find the source, lyrium blue eyes slowly adjusted to the strange place, one solitary object in the room. It appeared to be spinning slowly, a wide, circular apparatus glimmering golden, visions of an unfamiliar place flashing through when it spun. Ominous red orbs pierced the darkness, a flash of black interrupting the grey drowning her vision. 

 

“There’s nothing for it then. Go through.” A voice instructed. 

 

It was cold, light, more like it was amused rather than anything. Melothari wasn’t stupid enough to walk blindly into a foreign thing like this. 

 

“Who are you, why do you speak to me?” She asked warily. 

 

“I can’t cross through. I can only guide you. You need to come back, you can’t do that if you can’t get free.” He says. 

 

“You haven’t told me who you are…” She said. 

 

“You don’t need a name. I am not unknown to you. Now go.” He repeats. 

 

His voice is almost stern this time, like he hadn’t meant to entertain inquiries, and instead was trying to urge her through the device. The options did seem nonexistent. Go through, or stay here until she faded out of existence, or perhaps some other fate entirely. 

 

“If this is a trap...well, I suppose I fell for it too easily.” she admitted. 

 

Squeezing her eyes shut, she ran blindly through it, rolling to her shoulder to mitigate the landing. Her hands quickly brushed from head to toe, opening her eyes when she was certain everything was still where it should be, nothing missing or damaged severely. Melothari stood up slowly, her brows lowering suspiciously. This didn’t look a thing like Thedas. Perhaps the voice was that of a demon, and this was some kind of fever dream, the last bits of consciousness before a malevolent being decided to take her skin for a stroll. This place carried with it two specific questions she wasn’t sure she could answer: Where was she, and  _ when _ was she? There were others cropping up in the wake of those questions, but they could be figured out later. Why her specifically, was it the mark or something else entirely? Why send her here? Did the voice she heard have something to do with all of this, or was he really doing what he said and just trying to help her get back? 

 

“He said I need to get free...am I trapped here? What does that even mean?” Melothari muttered under her breath. 

 

Turning around, she could see the same circular device she had came through, though it was grey now, stationary. She tested her spells against it, hoping to get it working somehow, she made it move just a little before it clunked loudly, stopping completely. 

 

‘The future is unknown’ was carved into the now exposed side, barely visible among small piles of snow heaped on it. 

 

_ That’s helpful. What kind of bullshit was that? Of course the future is unknown, it hasn’t happened yet. If we knew the future, what the world held, no one would have need of the Maker or the Creators, what’s the point of a divine being if everyone already knew the things best left up to them.  _

 

“Ah, here you are.” the voice from before said. 

 

“It took you long enough to catch up with me.” She said. 

 

“You might do well to heed me.” he said seriously. “Gods beyond those you may know seek to pull your strings, to tear you away from where you’re needed. I  _ am _ trying to help.” 

 

“Then where is this?’ Melo asked. 

 

The eyes took in the landscape, looking for anything familiar, before he had to admit he wasn’t quite sure.

 

“I don’t know. What I can suggest is you try many things, find someone who knows the land and convince them, get them to help you. This one has shut down, but I think if you look you might find another and the means to unlock it. Perhaps your hand?” he told her. 

 

“So I have to stay here, and try to find another one of  _ these _ , in a place I’ve never been, have no clue how to navigate, and beyond that, I have no idea how elven mages are even treated here,  _ if _ they exist. That’ll be a fun one to explain.” she grumbled sarcastically. 

 

“Essentially, yes. You’ve already proven to be more interesting than I assumed you might be. Show me more, show me just how clever you are. Someone like you must surely have some idea of how to blend in if necessary.” he chuckles, a deep, echoing sound. “Do as I say, hurry. Find a way back. It is still frozen now, but who can say how long that will last?” 

 

Melothari still isn’t sure what to make of the mysterious figure, whether she can trust him or not, but the options are just limited enough to narrow it down to figuring it out all by herself, or taking his advice and maybe getting through a little faster. That should have meant not wasting any time trudging through the ankle deep snow to try and find some place to find clothes, find people. This presented a unique opportunity. Seeing another world, getting to see the past or...present...or  _ future,  _ wherever point in time she was in. She knew he couldn’t be there physically, but it was hard to believe he wasn’t still watching. 

 

“Is it possible this is someway connected to the explosion, to the hole in the sky?” She asked quietly. 

 

“Anything is possible. Whether it’s likely or not will have to be something you discover. Without a chance to be there, to see for myself, I can say nothing with a modicum of confidence.” he growled. 

 

“Is there a way for you to be here too, I know you said you can’t come through…but maybe you don’t need to?” Melothari suggested. 

 

He paused for a time, like he was considering it, then his voice was closer than it had been, her hair blown about from just the bit of breath she could feel. He certainly  _ felt _ like he was right behind her, but if he wasn’t, it was unfortunately likely she was the only one hearing and seeing what little bit of him she could. 

 

“There is, but I’m not certain it’s best. If it becomes necessary, we will discuss it later.” he said uncertainly. 

 

The question had thrown him. He lacked the usual cold tones, the hint of superiority, like he knew whatever, whoever he was, was absolutely better than she was. She’d have been offended if it wasn’t true, or at least  _ likely _ to be true. Glancing up at the sky, she frowned. Two moons, it could have been Thedas, if it wasn’t too strange. Only Satina was in view, but the other was always there, in other places. Here, they were very close, too close, too different, not a single recognizable star in the sky, forget about constellations. There were mountains though, was it at all possible that the Frostbacks diverted to this other world somehow? Maybe that explained how the Avvar could seemingly come from nowhere at times. She’d never been close enough to get involved, but close enough to watch large groups of them rush out of the mountains to harass some wealthy human. 

 

“Are those eyes?” She asked. 

 

“They are.” He said simply. 

 

“I notice you have four more than I do.” she said. 

 

“So I do.” he replied. 

 

“Do they work?” she wondered, her tone almost playful. 

 

“Of course they work.” he said, as though it were quite obvious, and he was offended. ‘Do yours work? Of course they do.” 

 

“Can you see anything I might be missing then?” she suggested, gesturing to the snow everywhere. 

 

“I can’t be sure yet, but it looks like there may be a village to the south.” He told her. 

 

If he couldn’t be sure, that was probably a pretty good indicator they would still be walking for quite some time. Glancing around curiously, she cupped her hands together, deciding to test if magic at least worked here. A small wisp of fire sparked between her hands, roaring to life before she extinguished it. Good, at least she could still cook, and despite the cold, she wasn’t going to freeze out here. There were some beasts who held up well in the cold, perhaps a deer, or a bear, maybe a few rabbits huddling somewhere for warmth. Melothari was no hunter, but even she’d picked up enough to know where to look. She had no weapons on hand, but magic could be useful in that too, so long as she took care not to draw potentially unwanted attention. He probably didn’t need to eat if he wasn’t truly here, but sleep and shelter should be the priority, survive the night and then head for the village in the day. Assuming this place didn’t also have two suns, that would be inconvenient, to say the least.

 

“Will you be alright for a few hours?” she asked. 

 

“Yes. Everything is still stable here too, no cause to rush just yet.” He said. 

 

“I can imagine our world will cease to exist if I take too long. What happens then? Do I go with it?” she sighed. 

 

“Either that or this will become your new life.” he suggested. 

 

“I suppose I don’t need to sleep for long.’ she muttered. 

 

“You are just a mortal. You need it. The end won’t happen that quickly.” he told her, that coldness seeping back in. “Do not neglect your needs unless you wish to invite death’s attention.” 

 

She crossed her arm over her chest, imitating a soldier. “Yes, sir, thank you sir.”

 

“Sarcasm is utterly charming.” he groaned with disdain. 

 

“If you intend to follow me, you should get used to it. I’m full of it.” she laughed. 

 

“You’re full of something, I don’t know that sarcasm is the right choice.” he snorted. 

 

She couldn’t help but laugh harder at the sight of six eyes rolling at the same time. He didn’t find it nearly as amusing, and instead of being frightened or intimidated by the deep, chaotic growl he gave her, it only made her laugh more, to the point of tears cascading down bright red cheeks. Fine, she’d stop when it finally called someone to her location, or some _ thing _ , anyway. Eventually, she held her stomach, mumbled complaints of her stomach hurting tossed in among the shallow, huffed breaths she managed to catch. Wiping her eyes with a sigh, she hunched over, smiling. 

 

“Thanks for that. I haven’t laughed like that in some time, it’s nice. The fate of a world in my hands, a glowing hand, waking up in chains... I guess it got a little serious there for a bit.” she said. 

 

“It still is. For the moment it might be useful to  _ go to sleep _ .” he told her. “In the morning you can tell me if the Fade is present here as well. I can’t do much for you, but you  _ can _ help me. The more you can learn, the more I might be able to tell you.” 

 

“Fine. I’ll set up in there for the night. Looks like most of the cold might be kept back. I might even find something I can build a fire with. I’d rather sleep in a warm place than worry about food for now, I’ll look for that tomorrow.” she said. 

 

“If you are fine, I shall return for the night. Best I not waste energy trying to maintain a presence in two places if I don’t need to.” he said. 

 

Just like that, in the span of a blink, he was gone. Not so much as a name, she realized, she hadn’t told him her name, nor asked for his. He said he’d come back, but that wasn’t precisely a promise, he could just decide not to return, to leave her to it and spare a thought for her eventual return. She was quite accustomed to having to survive only on what you could catch, to live without coin, and had managed just fine before, this place should hardly be any different just because it was unfamiliar. Just inside, there were plenty of already damaged books in a creaking, half-collapsed wooden shelf. Good enough to keep a fire going for a little while at least. Curling up against the stone not too far from her fire, she dozed off, already sapped of energy by the cold she’d pushed through. 

 


	2. Chapter 2

Melo scavenged through the outer ruins the next morning, finding little more than a basic bow and some armor made of fur. No need to be too picky on any of it, she wasn’t particularly talented enough to worry about the caliber. Her mysterious friend was nowhere in sight, not that she truly expected anything else. Not more than a few feet from the fire she’d slept by, the wind was bitter. This place wasn’t very different from the places she’d stayed before, but the lack of people, the lack of landmarks felt unfamiliar to her. 

 

The gnawing ache in her stomach reminded her it had been a while since she’d last eaten, but aside from berries, she couldn’t see anything that might be edible. Without knowing if they were poisonous, she wasn’t about to chance it. 

 

“Excitingly average Melothari Lavellan dies in a snowbank in a different world, too useless to even figure out how to fend for herself. That’s a tale no one will tell. Who would even know.” she muttered to herself. 

 

There was a stream not far, a decent place to get a drink at the very least. There might be fish, but that was a skillset she never learned either, she’d have a better chance of hunting than anything, and even that was already a massive lean into disappointment. Kneeling by the bank, she caught her reflection in the clear surface, making small adjustments to the furs she’d changed into, not that anyone was around to care how neat and kempt she looked. She leaned a little closer, frowning. Her eyes were different, dark, pupiless orbs, all high cheekbones and horns perched atop her head. To blame the place, the time, some manner of dark magic or what for this? Creators they were itchy too, she’d never thought what it might be like to have horns, no need for such a consideration after all, but after just this long, she already knew she didn’t like them much. 

 

A flash of movement across the bank caught her attention. Just a rabbit, but if she could at least land a shot on it, there was no question she could dress it and cook it. Being a mage had its perks. Shoddy arrows, nothing like those made in dalish clans, it looked very much like it would fall apart long before it reached a target, but it was worth a shot. Slowly, carefully, she nocked the arrow, trying to be as quiet as she could. What she wouldn’t give to be home right now, not having to worry about hunting because it was someone else’s job. Taking aim, she nearly stunned herself into shock when it easily found its mark, the powdery snow spattered in blood. Melo crossed the stream, fetching the carcass in disbelief, she’d never done that well before. The few times she practiced, it was lucky if she came within a few feet of whatever she was practicing on. Setting about to cleaning and preparing the rabbit, that much took only a short time before she had it cooking. 

 

Her ears perked up slightly, picking up on the sound of heavy steps nearby. Several people in heavy armor if her need to stay one step ahead of any templars had helped in any way. Trying to appear as insignificant as possible had seemed to work until someone noticed, pointing her out to what she assumed were friends. 

 

“Ain’t that the one what has the bounty?” a man said. 

 

“I dunno. They all look alike to me. Could be her, could be someone else entirely, and you’d never know.” another said wearily. 

 

Her eyes fell to the bow, no chance she’d be doing anything useful with it. Might be that a simple fireball was enough to deter any attempts to harass her. The group approached her, appraising her in silence before a third finally confirmed it. 

 

“That’s her. The one the Greybeards summoned.” he said. “The Dragonborn.”

 

“Knew that bastard was lying. Said he took her down outside of Dawnstar.” the second man muttered. 

 

“Nothing personal, kid. Just that you’re worth more dead than alive.” the first said. 

 

Three hands each fell to the hilt of a sword, while she was still trying to figure out how she was going to get herself out of this mess. Standing up, she raised her hands, fire rolling along her palms, spread out it her hands, hoping it was enough to put some distance between them. She saw the first swing, stepping back clumsily, nearly losing her footing in her efforts to dodge. Her mind completely blanked on her, and she wondered what really happened after death, whether that was really the end or if there was something more beyond it. Another swing caused her to back up right off the edge of the bank, the abrupt fall into the stream saving her. At the very least her clumsiness was occasionally useful. Before she could come up with any sort of strategy, however, all three were on fire, one blink later, they were dead. 

 

“You’re really not cut out for this, are you?” A familiar voice asked. 

 

Melo looked for her nameless friend, none of the six eyes visible anywhere around her. Instead, a man jumped from a nearby tree. He didn’t really look familiar to her, long, dark braids flowing down his chest, and piercing eyes, only two, fixed on her. He was fairly tall, toned but not bulky, intimidating, but not frightening. 

 

“That might be a bit of an understatement.” she admitted. “Thank you for saving me.” 

 

“What are you doing out here?” he asked. 

 

“I was...I slept out here last night, I’m waiting for someone…” she began, shaking her head with a sigh. “Who probably isn’t coming back.” 

 

“Well then,  _ Dragonborn _ , do you have a name?” he asked. 

 

“Araas Roseshade.” She said. 

 

Making a face, she clutched her throat, wondering where the name came from. It definitely wasn’t hers, and she didn’t remember even trying to say it. Her left hand touched the horns again, frowning at the thought that crossed her mind. The mistaken identity? The name that wasn’t hers? Dragonborn, whatever that was, the all too quick way she brought the rabbit down? No good. She was certain all the pieces were there, but she couldn’t quite figure them out in a meaningful way. Answering the question of why people were actively trying to kill her might be a fine place to start, at least. 

 

“Well, Araas...much as I’d like to, I can’t exactly leave you alone, you’ll die out here if I do.” he snorted. 

 

“What am I supposed to call you?” she wondered. 

 

The elven man looked like he was prepared to walk off without telling her, waving her to follow him. He seemed like he had at least a little better idea of what to do than she did. He glanced at her over his shoulder, sighing as if he could tell she was still waiting. 

 

“Solas.” he said finally. 

“Solas…” she said quietly. “Where are we going?” 

 

He pointed off in a direction she wasn’t sure of, not really gifted in that sense either. “There’s a town this way. Good as any for now, wouldn’t you think?” 


End file.
